Happy Christmas to you all and your families (and of course your four-legged friends).

Here is your December update... as always there is a LOT going on. Below is just a small selection, please keep an eye on WBRC WebCollect for the full list of events and join the WBRC Facebook for lots of updates and news.

We hope you have all had a great year with WBRC! Just a reminder that it's time to renew your membership for 2018. It can be renewed on WebCollect and is due for renewal by the 1st January. It's a great idea to get this done early as you can only attend any clinics or competitions  in 2018 once you have renewed. It's a bargain at £25... :-)  Please note that if you haven't previously renewed membership or joined via WebCollect you will need to "join" on WebCollect rather than renew.

Good luck to all our competitors at the Intermediate Dressage qualifier... we have a whopping five teams there on Sunday and many individuals! Good luck and stay warm!

Suzy
WBRC Chairman

Christmas fun clear round jumping clinic - 31st December 2017
With Lisa Oram, BHS Accredited Professional Coach, at Brooklands, Eversley on new huge outdoor school (or indoor if weather poor)
We like to do something a bit more fun and social in the Christmas holidays so this year we will run this clear round clinic with rosettes for clears and hot refreshments. Tinsel wearing encouraged, just check horses are ok with this! First half hour will be instructed warm up and instructed round of jumping, second half hour will be for everyone to jump two rounds at height of their choice with chance to win clear round rosette. Those not jumping and all watching will have hot soup/rolls, coffee and cake!  Bookings on WebCollect, groups of four.

2017 AGM and Prizegiving - Saturday 20th January 2018
Don’t forget to get your evening tickets for the AGM on the 20th of January 2018.
Fantastic evening with prizegiving, lovely food and a talk with Olympic event rider Jonty Evans £15pp. The daytime AGM clinic is fully booked but if you like to be placed on the waiting list please contact Leanne. Evening bookings on Webcollect NOW!

Summer camp 2018 - 21st and 22nd July 2018 - SAVE THE DATE!

Retraining of Racehorses riding club points challenge
Just a reminder that the club offers a prize to the ex-racehorse with the most participation points over the year. All horses with RoR numbers are eligible. Please contact Kate Parker for more information or to register your horse.

Team Quest dressage
Anyone who is interested in participating in Team Quest this year with a riding club team who has not already done so, please contact Kate Parker.

Winter showjumping qualifiers - Saturday 3rd March 2018
This year all classes for all winter show jumping qualifiers will be on the same day at BCA.  Winter classes are for teams only, no individual entries. Seniors and juniors 80/85cm, 90/95cm, 100/105cm, 110/115cm  - everyone jumps two rounds and teams still equal on faults jump off.  Best three scores to count.
Eligibility is likely to be similar to last summer, so no BS points f(1 BE point but not 1st to 6th BE100 current or last year) for 85cm, up to 500 for 90/95cm, up to 999 for 100/105 and unlimited points for 110/115 but will confirm when new rules available.  Riders must have re-joined WBRC by early Feb and horse's flu vax details must be on WBRC and all correct.
More details when entries open on WebCollect, hopefully early January.

Body protector rules change
From 1st January 2018 body protector rules change so only purple label 2009 labels are acceptable for competing (2000 no longer accepted). We recommend that the same standard is used for clinics.

WBRC trophies
Please can all those who hold WBRC trophies from last year's prize giving now make sure they are engraved with your details and 2016, cleaned and returned to a committee member by end of 2017, so ready for 2017 prize giving on 20th January.

Poles and back to basics SJ training - Saturday 9th Dec 2017
With Lisa Oram, BHS Accredited Professional Coach, at Brooklands, Eversley on new huge outdoor school (or indoors if weather poor).
Poles only, poles and mini, 70/80cm 85cm +   Groups of 4.  Bookings on WebCollect open until Wed 6th December.

So the clocks have changed and the nights are drawing in... but that's not stopping  WBRC! The winter season is in full flow!

Well done to all those competing at the FOH and Novice dressage qualifiers and keep a look out for the details of the next qualifiers and the MASSIVE number of clinics being run... make sure you are using WBRC Facebook for updates and news and WebCollect for all bookings.

HUGE thanks again to all of you who helped at the FOH qualifier in October, it was a great success and we can only make this happen with your fantastic support... THANK YOU! I'm really proud of such a supportive and friendly club.

Right, there are some BIG updates below...

The Christmas "do" is the 18th November - it's a race night with an amazing raffle with proceeds going to World Horse Welfare... get your tickets at a bargain £15 each.

And all the details for this year's AGM and prize giving with guest instructor are also below. This clinic will sell out VERY fast... so get set... GOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Suzy
WBRC Chairman

Christmas "do" - Saturday 18th November 7pm - Arborfield Village Hall
Tickets only £15! Supper included. Bring your own soft or alcoholic drinks.
We will be donating all proceeds to the World Horse Welfare charity, as voted by you.
The evening will be kicking off with a night at the races! Please bring lots of loose change to have a flutter, minimum bet 50p. There will be an hour's break at around 8.30pm when freshly cooked fish and chips (other options available please choose when booking) will be delivered to the door by Howe's Fish and Chips. We will be selling raffle tickets until 9pm when we will hold the raffle. Racing will then continue until 10.30pm.
We have some fantastic raffle prizes donated so far: Gemma Sayers lesson voucher,  Jamie Wright lesson voucher, Bruce Haskell lesson voucher, Shelley Doyle lesson voucher at her yard (Bramshill), Maggie Patterson - On the Hoof fitness training voucher, 55 min sports massage or 121 Pilates lesson with Nicky Clarke, one hour private polo lesson with 3 goal Argentine professional HPA approved club instructor, Lisa Oram clipping voucher, Hair and Hound dog grooming voucher, 2 x Munsted cross country schooling vouchers, 2 x Windsor Racecourse tickets, one hour photo shoot for you and your horse with Chris Carrel, Harry's Horse Flex trainer protection boots, James Turner Saddler prize, Sport Horse Supplies prize, British Dressage day ticket, WBRC merchandise, £20 Spillers feed voucher, £20 Mole country stores voucher, Saracen feed scoop and feed voucher, Equi Liquid Gold 1litre ... and finally, bottles of wine!

AGM - 20th January 2018
Jumping clinic at BCA, Maidenhead followed by the evening at Birds Hill Golf Club, Drift Road, Maidenhead. Very excited to announce our guest instructor is Irish Olympic Event Rider Jonty Evans! Jonty is a 4 star Eventer competing in Rio and gaining an individual 7th place on his horse of a lifetime, Art (Cooley Rorkes Drift) along with an amazing year including Badminton. Jonty has also been a groundbreaker in achieving crowdfunding to secure that Art stays with him for life! Jonty will be teaching during the day then attending the prize giving and giving a talk on his life and experiences with the chance to chat and answer questions. Always a great evening, come along and enjoy the night, spectators are welcome to watch the jumping during the day. Booking on WebCollect soon. Contact Leanne Carrel.

Poles and back to basics SJ clinics - Sun 19th Nov, Sat 9th Dec & Sun 31st Dec 2017
With Lisa Oram BHS Accredited Professional Coach at Brooklands, Eversley Cross on huge new outdoor school with choice of indoor school if forecast bad. Afternoon times from 12 noon to 4pm. Groups of four @ £25 inc hire. Poles only on all dates, 19th Nov will be grid work and 9/12 and 31/12 will be course jumping for up to 65cm, 70/80cm, 85/95cm groups.
Bookings open on WebCollect. Provisional times 10 days before and final times a few days before by email.

Jamie Wright SJ clinics - 12th November, 26th November, 10th December
Loddon Court Farm, Beech Hill RG7 1HL. Group price £27.50. Privates and semi-privates also available on request. Please book on WebCollect. Contact Kate Parker for more information.

Team Quest Dressage
Would you like to join in a low-key, friendly team dressage competition with no need to plait or wear competition dress?  Tests at intro, prelim and novice. Please visit British Dressage Quest Club for more information. This year we will just organise those people who would like to participate into teams, and after that you can do your own thing: choose your own competitions, make your own entries, design your own team kit etc!
Please contact Kate Parker with the following information:

• Have you participated before? 
• Which team were you in? 
• Would you like to stay in the same team or change around? 
• Do you have any friends you would like to compete with? 
• How much/little you would like to do (for example Wellington runs Team Quest once a month during the summer, and some teams just do this, whereas others travel further afield more frequently).
• How competitive a team you would like to be on (there are championships that some teams try to qualify for - whereas some other teams really don’t care!)

Would you like to compete for WBRC?
British Riding Clubs area qualifiers are run throughout the year for all disciplines and we hope to enter everyone who is interested. There are also many other competitions open to riding club members that we hope to send teams to, with the Liaison Trophy being the starter level in the spring, Hickstead teams of three show jumping, Blenheim Eventer's Challenge and the London and South East qualifiers. There really is something for everyone at all levels and we would love everyone who is interested to have a go. Horse's flu vaccination records must be in order and we pre-check all well before the day to ensure all will be ok on the day (contact Karen Woolnough and also update after any annual boosters please). There are eligibility rules posted on WebCollect with the competition entry details and area qualifiers close around a month before the competition so please make sure you either enter or contact team managers with any queries in plenty of time. Riders must be a paid up member of WBRC before the close of preliminary entries about a month before area qualifiers (prelim entries are where team managers speak for the number of places we would like at the qualifier and WBRC pay the prelim entry on behalf of all our members to head office). Team managers are able to answer any questions before the day and will make sure you have all the information you need. Then on the day of competition team managers will be on the ground to give everyone all the support we can.

Vaccinations - important message from Karen
You can check validity of your vaccinations record, find out when your next one is due, etc, via the British Riding Clubs downloads page.  Please can all potential competitors please ensure they have sent me photos of their passports showing horse name and number, and full vaccinations records, for our database.  This is a mandatory prerequisite for competing for the club and must be checked before we do our entries for any competitions.  Please then send me yearly updates so we can keep it up to date. Thanks!  Contact Karen Woolnough.

British Riding Clubs Area 6 novice and intermediate SJ qualifier & championship
SAVE THE DATES!
Saturday 3rd March 2018 - at BCA - 80/85cm, 90/95cm, 100/105cm, 110/115cm classes for both juniors and seniors.
Novice champs are 14/15th April at Arena UK, Grantham and will be for the 80/85cm SJ and novice dressage only.
Intermediate champs are 28/29th April at Bury Farm, Bucks and will be for the 90/95, 100/105, 110/115cm SJ and intermediate dressage. Winter SJ is for teams only, so no individual entries.
Entries will be open on WebCollect from 3rd Jan 2018 for 3rd March SJ qualifier and eligibility will be attached on WebCollect.

Dates for your diary - details will appear on WebCollect
18th Nov - Christmas party and race night fun at Arborfield -  contact Rebecca Lloyd
10th Dec - Intermediate dressage qualifier at Wellington - contact Sarah Thomas
16th Dec - Coach trip to Olympia (waiting list) - contact Rebecca Lloyd
20th Jan - AGM & Prize giving evening with training clinic during day - contact Leanne Carrel
3rd Mar - Winter SJ qualifier (all heights from 80 upwards) at BCA - contact Lisa Oram
Late March - Combined Training qualifier - contact Jo Ridgley
14/15th April - Novice winter champs (80/85cm SJ and dressage) at Arena UK, Grantham
28/29th April - Intermediate winter champs (90cm + and dressage) at Bury Farm, Bucks
19/20th May - FOH champs for Eventer's challenge and combined training at Aston Le Walls
27th May - Horse Trials qualifier - contact Amy Dale

Well done everyone!

Class times are now available on the competitions page

Sunday 8th October at Wheatlands Farm, Finchampstead
Organiser: Suzy Turner
Close of entries: Sunday 1st October
Further information/schedule